What Causes Oral Injuries?

Oral injuries have many potential causes and often occur without notice. It only takes a simple slip and fall to chip a tooth or knock it out. Sports-related injuries, whether colliding with another player or getting hit in the mouth with sports equipment, can also cause serious oral injuries. Wearing a mouth guard while playing sports can help protect the smile, but many other oral injuries are often unavoidable.

Some causes of oral injuries to be aware of include:

A bicycle or rollerblading accident

A car or motorcycle accident

Falling

Being hit in the mouth

Sports-related injury

Roughhousing

Steps to Take after an Oral Injury

Acting quickly after an oral injury, especially one that causes a tooth to fall out or become dislodged, may allow us to save the tooth. Seeking dental treatment as soon as possible is critical, even if no damage is apparent.

Although a tooth may seem fine after an oral injury, damage may have occurred below the gum line, at the root of the tooth. When the tooth's roots are damaged or traumatized, the blood vessels that nourish the teeth may be injured. It may take days or weeks for the damage to reach the tooth, causing the tooth to turn gray and die. In circumstances where a tooth is either dislodged or completely knocked out of its socket, it's even more vital to take immediate action.

Taking the following steps may help prevent tooth loss after an oral injury:

Find the lost tooth

Avoid touching the roots of the tooth and instead lift by the crown

Rinse the tooth in milk or a mixture of clean water and salt

Avoid letting the tooth dry out

Carefully place the tooth back into the empty gum socket

Lightly bite down on a clean, soft cloth or gauze to help hold the tooth in place

Immediately schedule an emergency dental appointment

Restorative Treatments for Oral Injury and Tooth Loss

Unfortunately, some people may lose one or more teeth after an oral injury. Thankfully, there are many treatments available to restore missing teeth for improved dental function and appearance.

Those who suffer from tooth loss may benefit from traditional bridges, dentures, or dental implants. Dental implants are surgically placed metal posts that can be paired with different types of restorations, including dental crowns, implant-supported bridges, and implant-supported dentures, to replace one or more lost teeth. Those who have not lost a tooth from an oral injury but have experienced dental damage of some form, like a chip or fracture, may benefit from porcelain veneers, dental bonding, or dental crowns.